Sentence Reduced For Anne Arundel Convicted Child Rapist

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — There’s outrage by the family of a young girl who was sexually assaulted. On Tuesday, a judge in Anne Arundel County reduced the sentence of the admitted rapist.

Adam May was in court during the controversial decision.

In 2009, a 7-year-old girl was abducted from a playground in Crofton, then raped by David Raszewski, who was 17 at the time. Now, after a conviction and an appeal, Judge Ronald Silkworth and two others ruled the original sentence was too strict. They reduced the 50-year-sentence to 20 years with 5 years probation and required sex offender therapy.

“That’s completely unfair,” said the victim’s mother.

“He lured my daughter into her house, then he sexually assualted my daughter for several minutes,” said her father.

“And then sent her out the door with two dollars,” the mother added.

WJZ is not identifying family members to protect the victim.

“A lot of times she’ll just be looking off and I’ll say what are you thinking about. And she says the bad man, that’s what she calls him,” said her mother.

“Anybody who has taken time to get to know my client knows there’s something not right about him,” said Spencer Gordon, defense attorney.

Defense attorneys successfully argued Raszewski had untreated behavioral issues. They say his autistic condition played a role in the crime.

In a statement, the state’s attorney writes to say, “We are disappointed is an understatement.”

The victim’s family is concerned Raszewski will strike again.

“The next time, and there will be a next because he’ll be in his 30s when he gets out, that next child will not be as lucky,” said the victim’s mother.

At least two experts say Raszewski is a high risk to offend again. With good behavior, he could be released on parole in as a little as 10 years.

What a message this sends to the Pedophile community. Wonder how Judge Silkworth would feel if it were his daughter / granddaughter? Ever notice how the accused & the convicted always have a mental disorder & get off leniently? The little girl had nothing wrong with her but now she does for the rest of her life. I pray he get’s some jailhouse justice a la shanking style prior to getting bung-holed endlessly by Mr Ben Dover.

This story doesn’t suprise me. This shows you how the criminal justice system more and more favors the guilty than the victims. the previous poster is correct. WHAT WOULD the judge do if a female family member of his was raped or sexually assualted? In that case, I am quite sure the offender would get a much more stricter jail sentence. The criminal justice systems in this country and judges are beginning to resemble some of those in the Middle East.

It still amazes me that people are so misinformed, regarding psychological disorders.
Mental Illness is the number one illness in America. I am not exaggerating on this fact.
We really need to put this into perspective.

It does not surprise me that his sentance was reduced. It should have been. The original sentance of 50 years was, for all intents and purposes, a life sentance for this obviously sick man. This heavy a sentance is given to put someone away forever.

This is not the purpose of our legal system. If you are a true American, believe in the principles our country was founded upon, and maintain hope in our correctional system (as flawed as it may be) then you cannot “throw away the key” for this man.

It does, however, concern me that he has not been repremanded to a mental health facility, unless I have mis-read or have mistaken the facts in this case.
The greatest chance of success in rehabilitating this individual is through psychological care at a qualified facility.

The word is SENTENCE! And apparently, you are more concerned about the diagnosis and treatment of his mental illness more than his parents/guardians/caretakers, whomever was responsible for this sick person. He clearly knew what he was doing. And to make matters worse, he paid her $2 to go away quietly????

The judge felt as though the SENTENCE was too strict, the victim and her family, were not even considered in this case.

That’s a green light to all “untreated mental people” to go out and commit crimes, and if caught, there is a possibility you WILL get your SENTENCE reduced; just say that your illness is “untreated”

Pedophilia can be studied but not “CURED!” Why risk allowing this guy to come back to society to ruin another child’s life? Once someone finds the courage and sickness within themselves to not only find a CHILD attractive and than ACT on that attraction, they WILL do it again!! It’s just a matter of when and at what level of violence that will be used the next time. A 7 year old now. A 2 year old later. Then a 12 year old. A 6 year old. Are you getting a REASONABLE picture YET “MORE REASONABLE????” I have a BA in Criminal Law and minored in Abnormal Phsyc so your not talking to someone who doesn’t know what their tallking about! HE WILL DO IT AGAIN. And He will expect to get away with it again! Mental illness is a reason, not an excuse and as with all reason there are ways of dealing with it! This one just happens to be INCARECERATION.

I have one suggestion: Line up drop your drawers and let a grown man RAPE you then get back to me on your drivel. The great thing about our “Criminal” system is he will be targeted and probably raped himself…Now, that there is some justice.
And, I am more than sure he’s going to get some!!!!

I’ve read that 3 out of 6 girls are sexually assulted before their 18th birthday. That would say that over 40% of our female population are scarred for life. By the many who scream “scarred for life, it would seem a high percentage have coped fairly welll. Not that I defend these heinous crimes, but let’s put things in proper perspective.

I agree with you 100% Pigeon. This is ridiculous. I have an autistic nephew, he never committed a crime. I worked with a bipolar man for 15 years and he never committed a crime even when he was off his medication. Get him some help while he is in jail. FOR LIFE!!!!!
No wonder the man shot the priest who had raped him as a child. I would have let him off. The jury felt the same way. He is on probation.

Mike I believe this is because an even smaller % of females under the age of 18 are RAPED this is were the true life long scaring occurs. Plus I’m willing to bet and even small % are raped as a child not even close to being a teenager or close to going through property and looking like a women. I’m in no way trying to down play any sexually assault. It’s one thing to hear a child was assaulted makes you feel sick but when you hear she/he was raped your heart pours out for them. He’s a sick man and I pray he doesn’t live long enough to be a free man.

To Kathy: I am appalled that as a female you are trying to make a distinction between rape and assault and whether you are younger or a teenager. It is exactly that kind of barbaric thinking that keeps sentences for these monsters from being longer than they are. To Mike: 3 out of 6 is EXACTLY 50% not a little more than 40%.

To be Violated is to be Violated! There is fine line!!!!!!!!!!! A child doesn’t have the chance to say NO even though that is what we teach them. Your heart should be pouring out for ANYONE who has faced ANY FORM of violation REGARDLESS if there was penatration or not! How was that child to know or understand what was actually happening? In their mind and for the rest of their life THEY WERE RAPED! Their little body was Violated. There is NO difference.

You’re wrong Mike. I can’t even tell you how very wrong you are. I think the percentage is most likely higher. You have no idea what we go through after having been molested as children. Even today, after listening to a friend talk just about everyday things, it entered my mind that she’s “so healthy”. We are scarred and we are scarred for life. We are individuals who are changed for the rest of our lives because of the selfishness of a man who chose to take away our security, our confidence, our rights as children to grow up without shame. We’re changed forever, that’s not to say we can’t get through it, but don’t you dare ever assume you have first hand knowledge on what this does to us for our entire lifetime. You need to put things in proper perspective. Go volunteer in a capacity of working with rape/molestation victims. Even then, you still do not know!

The purpose of our legal system if you are a true American is to protect the innocent, not the criminal. No where in our legal system are we to protect people who hurt other people. If some one is mentally ill, they need to be taken out of society if there is no guarantee they will not hurt other people. Why do we feel we need to protect mentally ill people who hurt others? It makes no sense. This man belongs in some type of jail for the rest of his life. How can a caring society turn someone back into society who would hurt an innocent child again? The judge needs to be removed.

The “caring society” didn’t do it; the judge did. I’m sure somewhere along the line he will get his; he will need to answer to a much high authority! He not only needs to be “disrobed” but also disbarred!

Whoaaaa, hold on to your bleeding liberal hearts for a moment. This person is sick, has a mental condition yet was clever enough to know he was committing a crime & tried to conceal it in addition to satisfying his filthy sexual urges & you want to put him up in a Ritz Carlton type center for care.? Forgetaboutit!!!!……Let him get his punishment simply because he should have been already under the watchful eye of his parents or guardian or for that matter the state in an institution. He has zero chance for a recovery & he knew what he did was wrong so let’s stop splitting hairs on treatment & diagnosis.

I completely agree! My cousin is autistic and he is a working, productive member of society and would never consider such behavior!! I also have other members of my family that suffer with that same disease as well as a co-workers child and clients adult children that have it and it appauls me that they are using that as a part of his defense!!!!! That disease does NOT make someone behave as rational as to lure someone somewhere or any of the other rational behaviors he performed. He knew what he was doing and should assume full responsibility for his behavior.

This is pathetic. I wonder how “More Reasonable” and this idiotic judge would feel if something like this happened to a child in their families? How sad. Quite honestly he should have the ‘tool’ he used on this little girl cut off and THEN he can be thrown in jail.. Hopefully in prison he will know what this little girl felt like because we all know child molesters don’t fare well in prison.

What is sad is that they are going to be let out to do it again!!!! REHAB IS BULL,he needs to be put away in general prison population, THEY JUST LOVE CHILD MOLESTERS< GET MY DRIFT. AND OR THE DEATH PENTLY. OLD TIME JUSTICE!!!

Not sure what level of autism he has. But an autistic child is able to unlearn things. Autistics repeat what happens to them. That is like a weird and sometimes crazy communication they do, kind of telling other what happened. But this person can unlearn. His needs were unmet as a child, so it would take much longer to teach him now that he’s an adult.

The 50 years was excessive. And I can imagine this person being the main rape victim in jail. He may have suffered sexual abuse as a kid also. I think part of his sentence should have been at least 10 years of learning academics, and behaviors that will protect him and protect the public. He will be in the public in the future. So if he got treatment he may have better behavior when he can have a better community contribution/interaction.

The word is “dumb” and if anyone is, it’s YOU. The defense didn’t dispute he did it and the little girl identified him, you idiot. He is a child molester/rapist through & through and should have been put down for being the dog he is. Parents, keep a close eye on your kids in the future. No doubt this one will do it again.

They blame his autistic behavior for his crime? If he was able to lure her away, rape her, then give her two dollars in hopes she would stay quiet then he obviously is not dumb. My brother is autistic and they have the mind of a 10 year old for the most part. What 10 year old thinks about raping another human being?

Sabrina, I do hope that you aren’t serious! the last thing your daughters need is to lose their mom for renegade justice. Love those girls, let them talk,talk, talk and talk some more. Guard their hearts. Watch them, don’t let them fall prey to what happens with so many after a violation. Be there for them, and don’t pay homage to the evil person that harmed them. Even if he walked free….you be the best mom to those precious gifts that God gave to you!

News flash – committ a crime in Anne Arundel County and the Judges will either give you probation wtih the right to continously to get away with anything, get off free or serve lessor time in Jail for committing a far more herrendous crime such as rape. Judges in Anne Arundel, remember the people elect to you to the bench come election time. For those who were apponted by the idtot that we have for a Governor, you can always be replaced.

The problem in this county is the Judges. Often, in Massachusetts (for example) … the sentence for rape is a day to life. Sexual offenders cannot be cured. What is really scary is that he will (most likely) not service the full 30 years.

Perhaps if this mental person’s family would’ve invested their money in to “treating” his untreated mental issues, this innocent child could’ve been spared unwanted mental issues of her own. Now her family has to deal with mental issues she may have as a result of this “untreated mental issue person” acts.

He knew what he was doing. He had enough sense to abduct her and assualt her, then pay her with hush money. Oops, I’m sorry, due to his “untreated mental issues” perhaps he thought that a 7 year old little girl was a postitute and therefore had to pay her.

I would beat this pathetic little fairy’s a$$ so bad it would glow in the dark. Then I would kick his dic loose. There comes a time for downright action & forget the discussions, evaluations, medical treatments that only make attorneys, & the medical professions rich off of your tax dollars. Enough, annihilate this little monster.

This is why vigilante justice is so big in this country. When the victim is so young, each parent should be issued a gun with one bullet loaded. Once the verdict is read, each parent, if the sentence is unsatisfactory, should get one shot at the criminal each. JUSTICE SERVED. Why not give the little darlin’ some video games to play. Here’s a thought, give him Grand Theft Auto to play — this will teach him a new trade for when he gets out!!!

When you harm someone in this way of course you have a mental problem. A normal person can not even imagine hurting a child or just somebody for no reason. I can not understand why society can not face that there are some “defects” out there and they are not fit to live with all of us.

This is B/S! Now I’m sure this guy was and is being raped plenty in prison…but I also think a fair sentence would be to leave him in a room for about 30 min with the father! And after that.. maybe give ma a few minutes!

It’s a sorry excuse to use that “autism” might have been a causing factor. I have a granddaughter who is autistic and find it offensive for even the defense attorney suggesting that his client’s crime was committed because of the disability.

I think it’s rediculous that his time went from 50 years to 20 years with 5 years prohbation. Seriously?! What kind of idiot judge is in that court room? He obviously is mentally ill and doesn’t have children or a heart for that matter.
I agree with lp, let’s put the jerk in a room with the father and have the father take care of it. If he ends up killing the loser, the judge will probably only give him a day or two.

We are what’s wrong with the criminal system. We allow judges like Suckworth and North and others who are, in fact, accessories to the rape!! We should overwhelm Suckworth’s office with calls and faxes and protests that allow him to reward RAPISTS….especially CHILD RAPISTS!!!!
Judge Suckworth: 410-222-1451 Fax: 410-222-1176
Judge Hackner: 410-222-1375 Fax: 410-222-1176
7 Church Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401

WE need to make his LIFE miserable. If the ‘whole’ annapolis could rise up over the dog Bear-Bear…then surely WE CAN bring this judge to his knees. And, all the other judgesl like him who reward CHILD RAPISTS…

The Child RAPISTS defense attorney is: Spenser F. Gordon.
That your opinions and energy and shut his office telephone and fax line down.
His information is listed below. Stop running your mouth and take action to voice your utter intolerance for these types of lawyers and actions:

What does this rulling say to Rape Victims? Think about if it was your or someone you cared deeply for. Not a great time with the imagination there is it? Well, for this girl and her family it isn’t just imagination that haunts them but reality. With this judge and the rulling they provided it is telling rape victims that it is ok and it will be a slape on the hand nothing more… and people wonder why rape victims don’t speek out this is one of the main reasons.

This just sickens my stomach. These offender’s and criminal’s are getting away with anything and everything now-a-days. And it is all because their “mental disorder”, whether they have a mental disorder or not they still know what they’re doing! My mom teaches Autistic children and yes they are different but they are still taught the same things children without a disorder are taught. They comprehend just as much as other children do just in a different way. There is no reason why his sentence should be less strict because I know if I were a judge his ass would be rotting in jail forever! And they blame todays world for the sickening people, no it’s how they’re raised and what kind of environment they were brought up in! Don’t blame society blame their parents for not noticing the problems and getting them help! There’s no reason as to why it’s society’s problem when society didn’t raise them! My parents always made sure my brother and I were disciplined, now where’s his discipline! I bet it would be a different story if it were the judges wife, daughter, grand-daughter or any other family member! I hope the judge feels great about releasing a high risk offender back on the streets!